- Introduction to the Department
- Selection of an Advisor
- Departmental Support of Graduate Students
- Core Courses
- Students Entering from a Non-Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Program
- Programs Leading to a Master's Degree
- The Doctoral Program
- Proficiency in English
- Appeals Procedures
- Graduate Certificate in Maintenance and Reliability Engineering
- Dual MS/MBA Program
- Appendices
- The Faculty and their Interests
- Research Proposal Cover Sheet
- Topics Included in the Ph.D. Written Comprehensive Examination
Introduction to the Department
Welcome to the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Graduate Program. We are pleased to have you join our group. New students should report to the Departmental office, 419 Dougherty Hall, on arrival at The University of Tennessee. The office staff, Ms. Betty Frazier and Ms. Susan Seymour, will be happy to introduce you to faculty and students and to provide you with information which will facilitate your adjustment to your new environment.
The primary source of information concerning the graduate program is the Graduate Catalog. This publication contains University-wide regulations in the front section and particular departmental regulations and procedures in the departmental section. This Manual contains departmental regulations and guidelines for graduate students which supplement those provided by the Graduate Catalog. It is very important that you read both the catalog and this manual, because you are responsible for knowing and following these policies.
The University makes available each semester on its web site a timetable with the schedule for the next semester's course offerings. The graduate school maintains a web site of pertinent information such as important dates and deadlines for adding, dropping, or changing credit for courses, thesis exams and submittal of the thesis for graduation. Information is also disseminated by memoranda and by announcement at the regular graduate seminar.
Selection of an Advisor
The Graduate Coordinator serves as an interim advisor for new students. For students who have not previously selected an advisor, the coordinator will review the student's experiences, academic background, and interests, and recommend a program of study for the student's first term in residence.
The student should choose a permanent, or major, advisor before the end of the first term in residence. The permanent advisor will serve as the chair of the thesis or dissertation committee, direct the research, and advise the student on an appropriate program of study consistent with the student's research interests and long term professional objectives.
The first step in the selection of a permanent advisor is to make an appointment with each of the faculty members for the purpose of exploring mutual research interests, learning about ongoing research projects, determining the resources (e.g., laboratory facilities, analytical equipment, computational facilities, etc.) which may be required for the conduct of a particular research program, and sources of financial support.
Once a student and a faculty member have agreed to collaborate on a research project, the student and faculty member should communicate this decision to the Graduate Coordinator. The major advisor will then assume all future advising responsibilities.
The appendix contains a list of potential research advisors. New students are strongly encouraged to initiate their discussions with faculty members during their first month in residence, so that their research advisors can be chosen in a timely way before the end of the first term and so the planning of the research project can be initiated.
Departmental Support
The principal sources of departmental financial support are graduate teaching assistantships (GTA) and graduate research assistantships (GRA). GTA's are generally at the 25 percent level, corresponding to 10 hours per week obligation to the department. GTA appointments provide a waiver of University maintenance fees, university health insurance premiums, and tuition, but not activity fees.
GRAs are awarded to students by individual faculty members with funds from research grants or contracts. Duties of the GRA depend on the nature of the funded project, but generally coincide with the thesis or dissertation research. Stipends are comparable to those for gtas, but are somewhat variable depending on project funding. Maintenance, university insurance premiums, and tuition fees are paid from project funds.
Students are expected to carry a full academic load while holding an assistantship. If courses have been completed or are not being taken during a particular term, thesis or dissertation hours should be taken to make a total of 12 semester hours. Your assistantship and your course work constitute a full-time job. You may not hold outside employment while on a 20 hr/week appointment. Violation of this policy may result in termination of the assistantship.
Full-time supported students who plan to enter the doctoral program must take the written comprehensive examination during their second semester in residence. Failure to do so may result in withdrawal of financial support.
Students are expected to progress continuously through their graduate programs in a timely fashion. To encourage steady progress toward one's degree objective, the following limits are placed on departmental support:
- Master Degree Candidates: Maximum of two years total support from any source.*
- Ph.D. Degree Candidates who enter with an M.S. Degree: Maximum of three years total support from any source.*
- Ph.D. Degree Candidates who bypass the M.S. Degree: Maximum of four years of support from any source.**
- UT-K M.S. Degree Candidates who wish to stay on for the Ph.D. Degree. The student must meet the following criteria to obtain support for a period of up to three additional years from any source:
- Pass the written comprehensive examination before consideration for support as a Ph.D. degree candidate.
- Complete the requirements for the M.S. degree before receiving support as a Ph.D. student.
Financially supported students are expected to be in residence throughout the calendar year, engaged in full time study and research, except for University holidays and vacation time of two additional weeks.
* In exceptional cases, support may be extended beyond the stated time limits, if the student's research advisor wishes to use external research funds for this purpose.
** Financial support decisions for the fall semester are generally made during the preceding winter. The written comprehensive examination should be taken as early as possible after the first two terms in residency, especially for those persons seeking financial assistance.
Core Courses
The following courses are required and are to be taken for credit by both Master and Ph.D. degree students, unless equivalent courses have been taken at another approved institution:
- ChE 505 (Engineering Analysis), Fall
- ChE 531 (Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics), Fall
- ChE 547 (Transport Phenomena I), Fall
- ChE 548 (Transport Phenomena II), Spring
- ChE 551 (Chemical Reactor Analysis), Spring
A graduate degree in chemical engineering requires the mastery of the core fundamentals of the discipline. These fundamentals are represented by five core courses: Chemical Engineering 505, 531, 547, 548, and 551. Both the master's (thesis and non-thesis) and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering require the successful completion of these core courses.
New graduate students will typically take 4 graduate level course in the Fall Semester of their first year; ChE 505, ChE 531, ChE 547, and one other course as an elective. If a new graduate student, with advisor approval, takes ChE 507 during the first Fall Semester instead of ChE 505, then ChE 505 must be taken the next Fall Semester. In the first Spring Semester, students will take ChE 548 and ChE 551 and other courses as specified by their advisor, and approved by the departmental graduate committee chair and department head. Until a permanent advisor is selected, the graduate coordinator is the advisor to all new students.
A Transition student with a non-ChE background will also typically take at least 4 courses in the Fall Semester as approved by the student's advisor. The requirements for various backgrounds are specified in the Transition Student section of the Graduate portion of the departmental web page.
All full time graduate students are required to take ChE 501 (Graduate Seminar) each semester that it is offered. Graduate students conducting their research at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) or other off-campus locations sometimes have a problem with attending the ChE 501 seminars. Exemptions may be granted by the seminar chairman in special cases, with the written approval of the faculty advisor.
Transition Program
Students with a B.S. in engineering or science can complete a transition program and an M.S. degree in Chemical Engineering in as little as one additional semester compared to students with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. By starting in the summer and completing background courses to prepare for graduate courses in the fall, students can receive an M.S. degree at the same time as B.S. Chemical Engineering students. Starting the program in the fall with a mixture of graduate and undergraduates courses during the first academic year requires at least one additional year. A spring entry requires longer than one additional year to complete the M.S. degree.
Actual course requirements depend on the B.S. degree discipline. Unless otherwise stated, the courses cannot be taken for graduate credit. Two example transition programs are given below:
- ChE 200 Chemical Engineering Fundamentals
- ChE 240 Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer
- ChE 340 Mass Transfer and Separation Processes (see note 1)
- ChE 450 Chemical Reactor Fundamentals
B.S. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering
- ChE 200 Chemical Engineering Fundamentals
- ChE 230 Introduction to Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
- ChE 340 Mass Transfer and Separation Processes (see note 1)
- ChE 450 Chemical Reactor Fundamentals
Other Technical Disciplines
Students in other disciplines will be required to complete a similar set of courses that reflect the preparation necessary to take ChE graduate courses.
Note 1: ChE 542 Diffusive and Stagewise Mass Transfer Operations, may be substituted for ChE 340 with instructor approval and the student allowed to receive graduate credit)
Other Requirements
- All transition students will be required to earn at least a grade of B in each of the transition courses.
- Students who have not had chemistry beyond the freshman year are also required to demonstrate a knowledge of advanced chemistry
- All incoming students are expected to have had a course in differential equations prior to taking transition courses.
Curriculum Description
A summer transition student takes the summer courses for their discipline without regard to prerequisites. If the student has had differential equations this enables the student to enroll in regular graduate courses beginning in the fall. One additional background course (ChE 450) will be taken in the fall.
Fall transition students take most of the same transition courses as those entering in a the summer but will be on a two year schedule to complete the transition requirements.
The program for transition students entering spring semester closely follows the summer entry graduate students except that 240 would be taken in the spring preceding their first summer semester.
Programs Leading to the Master's Degree
The Graduate School requires that each student have an advisor from the major department and that the student and advisor select a thesis committee. The committee must consist of the advisor and at least two faculty members of the rank of assistant professor or above. The department requires that the advisor be selected prior to the end of the first term in residence (see Section 2) and that the committee be established prior to the end of the second semester of study.
The responsibility of the committee is to assist the student in planning a course of study, in carrying out the research, and to assure that the degree requirements are fulfilled. If the student has a minor, one member if the committee must be from the minor department.
Application for candidacy must be made as soon as possible after the student has completed required prerequisite courses, if any, and nine hours of graduate course work with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, in all graduate course work. Admission to candidacy confirms that the graduate committee and The Graduate School agree that the student has demonstrated the ability to do acceptable graduate work and that normal progress has been made toward the degree.
The student must submit the Admission to Candidacy form, signed by the committee members, listing all courses to be used for the degree, to the Office of Graduate Admissions and Records no later than commencement day of the semester preceding that of graduation.
There are two options leading to the MS degree: the thesis (original research-oriented) and non-thesis options. Also, it is possible to transfer into the PhD program without having to complete the MS degree. These topics are discussed in the following:
- Master of Science Degree (Thesis Option)
- Master of Science Degree (Non-Thesis Option)
- Transfer to the Ph.D. Degree Program
Master of Science Degree (Thesis Option)
The standard master's program includes a thesis and leads to the Master of Science. Minimum departmental requirements are as follows:
- A total of at least 21 semester hours in graduate level courses (excluding 500 and 501) in chemical engineering and related areas beyond the baccalaureate. These courses must include the five core courses.
- A written thesis proposal (see below).
- Research and a written thesis to give at least 9 hours of credit in 500.
- Active participation in graduate seminars in the department. Resident students must register for 501 every semester it is offered.
- A final oral examination covering the written thesis and related fields and graduate coursework (see below).
The M.S. thesis proposal is a written document consisting of not more than 10 pages single spaced, to be completed no later than the end of their second term in residence. The proposal is developed in consultation with one's advisor and approved by the committee, and must contain the following elements: a brief statement of the problem to be researched and discussion of key relevant literature, a statement of the proposed work, the lan of attack, and a thorough list of the relevant supporting literature references. The written proposal is distributed to the student's thesis committee and is presented orally for the approval of the committee.
The Master of Science program culminates with an oral examination in which the student defends the thesis in a critical examination by the committee. Questions pertinent to the student's course work may also be asked in order to measure the student's ability to integrate the material in the major and related fields of study. This examination must be scheduled, distributed to the committee members, and defended consistent with deadlines published in the Graduate Catalog. In case of failure, the candidate may not apply for re-examination until the next regularly scheduled examination period. The result of the second examination is final.
Candidates have six calendar years from the time of enrollment in The Graduate School to complete the degree requirements.
Master of Science Degree (Non-Thesis Option)
Under certain conditions an applicant may apply for the non-thesis program, leading to the Master of Science degree. To be eligible, the applicant must show evidence of significant professional experience after the baccalaureate degree in chemical engineering. A minimum of five years of industrial experience or a record of research publications would be examples of such evidence. The departmental faculty will consider each application individually. Upon acceptance, the requirements for completion of the M.S. degree, non-thesis option, are as follows:
- Thirty-three hours of course work, fifteen hours of which must be chosen from the core courses (refer to Section 4), and including ChE 580, Technical Review and Assessment.
- Pass one section of the Ph.D. written comprehensive examination. The student may choose which of the three sections he/she wishes to take.
- Complete a critical review of the literature in an area of chemical engineering interest, chosen in consultation with the student's advisor and approved by the committee. Credit for this work is received by registering for ChE 580. Guidelines for the literature review are as follows:
- A normal three credit-hour course requires 45 contact hours and 90-135 additional hours outside the classroom. The student should therefore plan on spending at least 135-180 hours of library research and conceptual/developmental work on his/her review paper.
- The student should choose a topic and a committee at least one full semester prior to registering for ChE 580. The committee will consist of the major professor as chairman and at least two additional members holding the rank of assistant professor or above.
- A meeting should be held promptly with the committee for the purpose of approving the student's topic and detailed outline of the proposed work and work schedule. The outline must be approved by the committee before the student registers for ChE 580.
- The resulting review paper is expected to be equivalent in quality to one of the following documents, and could be submitted for consideration for publication with the student and major professor as co-authors:
- A paper to any technical journal approved by the candidate's committee.
- A paper suitable for presentation at any technical meeting approved by the committee.
- A research proposal to the Engineering Directorate of the National Science Foundation.
- An internal publication by the candidate's employer, approved by the committee. This provision allows proprietary research to be used to satisfy the requirements of ChE 580.
- Satisfactory performance on an oral examination, conducted by the student's committee, covering the review paper and related areas.
Transfer to the Ph.D. Degree Program
Highly qualified students who are initially admitted to the M.S. program will be considered for acceptance into the Ph.D. program without completing the master of science degree. Such students should have an excellent undergraduate record and an exceptional record on their course work during the first two semesters of graduate study.
M.S. students who wish to proceed directly to the doctoral degree after their first year in the M.S. program should petition in writing to the Graduate Coordinator and must have the written endorsement of their advisors. Transfers are granted to those students who pass the written comprehensive examination during their second semester in residence.
Students who fail the written comprehensive examination are allowed to continue with their M.S. degree program and may re-apply for admission to the Ph.D. program following the completion of the requirements for the M.S. degree.
Students applying for admission to the doctoral program must provide evidence of an outstanding academic record as well as evidence of the ability to perform and report independent, original research to the satisfaction of the faculty. A master's thesis and/or suitable publications may be offered as such evidence.
A total of 72 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree are required for the PhD degree. These consist of coursework hours and research and dissertation credit hours (Chemical Engineering 600).
Specifically, the department requirements consist of the satisfactory completion of
- A minimum of 36 semester hours in graduate level courses (excluding Chemical Engineering 600) in chemical engineering and related fields beyond the baccalaureate. These courses must include the five core courses and at least 6 hours of courses at the 600 level from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
- The comprehensive examination, consisting of a written part and an oral part. The written part covers the core fundamentals of the program.(see Written Comprehensive Exams) The defense of the dissertation proposal constitutes the oral portion of the exam.
- A minimum of 24 credit hours of research and dissertation credit in Chemical Engineering 600. Registration must be continuous from the time research begins (see the Continuous Registration requirement in the Graduate Catalog for further details).
- Successful oral defense of the dissertation before the student's dissertation committee.
- Active participation in graduate seminars conducted by the department. Resident students must register for 501 every semester offered.
The total of 72 credit hours can be achieved by taking 36 research credit hours and 36 coursework hours or 48 coursework hours and 24 research credits or by any combination that meets the minimum requirements for both coursework and research credits. The particular distribution of credit hours within these constraints should be determined by the student and advisor in consultation with the student's thesis or dissertation committee.
The Written Comprehensive Examination
A written comprehensive examination is administered in order to assess the student's level of competence in the core areas, and to establish that the student can think analytically and creatively. This examination, set at the level students are expected to attain at the end of one year of graduate study, covers three major areas: thermodynamics, chemical reactor fundamentals, and transfer processes and separations. Principal topics included in each of these three parts are listed in the Appendix, along with corresponding UTK course numbers and a set of suggested references.
The written comprehensive examination is normally given during immediately following the spring semester, although an additional examination may be scheduled in January. Applicants to the doctoral program should petition to take this examination at their first opportunity, normally after completing two semesters of graduate-level course work. Students who wish to enter the Ph.D. program who have received the M.S. degree in chemical engineering from another institution may elect to take this examination after having been in residence for one or two semesters. Applicants who fail a single section of the written comprehensive examination may repeat the failed section. If two or more sections are failed, the entire exam must be retaken. In all cases, the exam (or one section) may only be repeated once.
The Ph.D. Committee
The student and major professor establish a dissertation committee consisting of faculty with similar research interests. The committee must consist of a least four members, one of whom must be from a department other than Chemical Engineering. At least three of the members must be approved by the Graduate School to supervise Ph.D. dissertations. The makeup of the committee must be approved by The Graduate School before the oral part of the comprehensive examination is conducted. The form for approval of the dissertation committee is obtained from the Office of Graduate Admission and Records.
The student's Committee should meet at least once per year to review the student's progress and to discuss the research project.
The Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal
The dissertation proposal consists of well-developed statement of the research to be undertaken along with the objectives, methodology, and an exhaustive review and critique of the related literature. A detailed research plan including the resources required in order to conduct the work and a time table for completion of the proposed research completes the proposal. Proposals generally require substantial input on the part of the major professor, who participates in guiding the direction the research is expected to take.
Refer to the Appendix for a sample cover sheet for the proposal.
Numerous students have found the course English 461- Advanced Technical and Professional Writing useful in preparing a sound and well-organized proposal. Many advisors recommend that their students take this course for credit during the term during which they are writing their proposal.
The Oral Comprehensive Examination
The student stands for the oral part of the comprehensive examination after writing the dissertation proposal. This examination primarily covers the proposed research but may also cover course work completed by the student that is germane to the proposed research. The examination is administered and controlled by the dissertation committee; the committee examines the student and decides if the student passes or fails the defense of the research proposal. The major professor will write a letter for the student's file, with copies to the committee members, stating the results of the proposal defense.
Admission to Candidacy for the Ph.D. Degree
A doctoral student may be admitted to candidacy after passing the oral comprehensive examination, but no later than one full semester prior to completion of the degree requirements. To apply for candidacy, obtain the application form from the Office of Graduate Admissions and Records. You must have achieved a GPA of at least 3.0 (B) and you must have passed both the written and oral comprehensive examinations in order to be admitted to candidacy. Fill out the form with a list of the courses you have taken, the grades received, and the courses you plan to take in order to satisfy requirements. Obtain the necessary signatures and turn in the appropriate number of copies to the Office of Graduate Admissions and Records. The Graduate School checks to make sure all the requirements are satisfied and returns a copy to you. The dean will have indicated the date by which you must finish all requirements (eight years after entering the program) on your copy.
Dissertation Requirements and Final Examination
The dissertation is the permanent record of the results of the original research project, their interpretation, and the conclusions which are drawn from the investigation. The writer points out the novel features of the work and explains in detail how the work was conducted, to the extent that a person skilled in the discipline can repeat the work by reference to the dissertation alone.
Students are encouraged to participate in dissertation workshops which are announced each term on the Office of graduate Studies web site before drafting their document. The format of the dissertation must be approved by The Graduate School. Consultants are available to advise on mechanical details such as margins, page numbering, etc.
The student is required to supply an electronic copy of the final dissertation to the Office of Graduate Studies. The Office of Graduate Studies provides the specific information about how this document is to be created and transferred to the library. One copy must also be given to the department for its collection. The major advisor must be given a copy, usually hard bound, and the student must provide copies to the other committee members if requested. These may be soft bound copies.
The final examination of the Ph.D. program is an oral exam in which the candidate defends the dissertation and responds to any related questions the committee may ask.
The dates by which the defense must be scheduled, the dissertation defended, and the dissertation submitted to the Office of the Graduate Admissions and Records in final form are published each semester on the Office of Graduate Studies web site. The candidate normally submits the first draft of the dissertation to the major professor. When the dissertation is acceptable to the major professor, it is presented to the other committee members. The committee shall have at least one week to read the document in preparation for the final examination.
The oral defense consists of a summation of the work, presented to all interested parties, including other graduate students, followed by an examination conducted by the committee in private. The committee decides whether the candidate has passed the examination or not. The dissertation approval sheets are signed by the committee when the document is acceptable in final form, proofread, and corrected.
Ph.D. Students with B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Typical Course Timeline Guide
Required Total Credits: 72 (including ChE 600)
Required Minimum Course Credits: 36 (excluding ChE 600)
Required 600-level Course Credits: at least 6
Required Minimum Thesis Credits (ChE 600): 24
Fall Semester, Year One:
- ChE 501: Seminar
- ChE 505: Advanced Mathematics for Engineers (core)
- ChE 531: Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics (core)
- ChE 547: Advanced Transport Phenomena I (core)
- suggested: one fall technical elective
Spring Semester, Year One:
- ChE 501: Seminar
- ChE 551: Chemical Reactor Analysis (core)
- ChE 548: Advanced Transport Phenomena II (core)
- required: one spring technical elective
- suggested: one spring technical elective
Between Spring and Summer Semester, Year One:
- Ph.D. Written Qualifying Exam (Comprehensive Exam)
Summer Semester, Year One:
- ChE 600: Thesis (3 credits)
Fall Semester, Year Two:
- ChE 501: Seminar
- ChE 600: Thesis (3 credits)
- suggested: two or three fall technical electives
Between Fall and Spring Semester, Year Two:
- Ph.D. Oral Qualifying Exam (Ph.D. Proposal Presentation)
- Apply for Admission to Candidacy (see Graduate Student Handbook)
Spring Semester, Year Two:
- ChE 501: Seminar
- ChE 600: Thesis (3 credits)
- suggested: two or three spring technical electives
Summer Semester, Year Two:
- ChE 600: Thesis (3 credits)
Fall Semester, Year Three:
- ChE 501: Seminar
- ChE 600: Thesis (3 credits)
- suggested: one or two fall technical electives
Spring Semester, Year Three:
- ChE 501: Seminar
- ChE 600: Thesis (3 credits)
- suggested: one or two spring technical electives
Summer Semester, Year Three:
- ChE 600: Thesis (3 credits)
Fall Semester, Year Four:
- ChE 501: Seminar
- ChE 600: Thesis (5 credits)
Spring Semester, Year Four:
- ChE 501: Seminar
- ChE 600: Thesis (5 credits)
Summer Semester, Year Four:
- ChE 600: Thesis (3 credits)
Typical Fall Technical Electives in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
- ChE 507: Applications of Linear Algebra in Engineering
- ChE 542: Diffusive and Stagewise Mass Transfer Operations
- ChE 575: Applied Microbiology and Bioengineering
Typical Spring Technical Electives in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
- ChE 532: Statistical Mechanics
- ChE 561: Process Modeling and Simulation
- ChE 581: Industrial Pollution Prevention
Typical 600-level Technical Electives in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
- See Graduate Catalog.
Note: There are additional deadlines associated with the Application to Candidacy, the submission of the dissertation, and graduation that are specified by the Graduate Studies office. Be sure you keep abreast of these important dates.
Proficiency in English
All graduate students whose native language is not English must pass an English proficiency examination given by the University prior to initial registration. Students whose performance on the examination indicates a need for additional English study must enroll immediately for English 121 English Grammar Review for Non-Native Speakers (or another course assigned by the English Department) for undergraduate credit and pass with a grade of C or better. A student may not take more than 6 additional hours of course work while enrolled in English 121. Students whose scores indicate that they are not prepared to enter English 121 will be referred to a program of intensive English study prior to enrolling in an academic program.
Graduate students whose native language is not English must pass an oral test in English (the SPEAK Test) before they can be assigned to instructional responsibilities in connection with a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA). The SPEAK Test is administered on campus by The Graduate School. Scores from the Test of Spoken English (TSE) may be accepted in place of the SPEAK Test.
Appeals Procedures
Grievances against any policy or action by the University or its personnel may be presented according to procedures specified in Hill Topics-A Student Handbook.
In addition, complaints against the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Department or its personnel may be addressed within the Department. The student should first request a meeting with the Department Head and/or any other department personnel involved in a dispute. If a resolution which is satisfactory to the student cannot be achieved within the Department, the student may present his/her case according to procedures described in Hilltopics.
Graduate Certificate in Maintenance and Reliability Engineering
The College of Engineering offers a graduate certificate in maintenance and reliability engineering. The program is designed primarily for part-time students in that several of the courses are available through distance education. The certificate requires the completion of 12 credit hours. For details of the certificate program, see the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering section of the Graduate Catalog.
Dual MS/MBA Program
The College of Business Administration and the College of Engineering offer an integrated program leading to the conferral of the Master of Business Administration degree with a major in business administration (concentration in operations management) and the Master of Science degree in chemical engineering. For details of the dual MS/MBA program, see the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering section of the Graduate Catalog.\
List of Appendices
RESEARCH PROPOSAL COVER SHEET
TITLE: _________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
STUDENT: _____________________________________________________________
COMMITTEE:
_____________________________________________Major Professor
_____________________________________________ChE Department
_____________________________________________ChE Department
_____________________________________________
DATE SUBMITTED: ______________________________________
DATE ACCEPTED: ______________________________________
PROGRAM: M.S. _________ Ph.D. __________
Topics Included in the Ph.D. Written Comprehensive Examination
There are three principle topic areas covered on the written comprehensive examination: thermodynamics, chemical reactor fundamentals and transfer processes and fundamentals. Each of the three areas is discussed below:
Part I: Thermodynamics
Topics: Chemical process fundamentals including mass and energy balances; state functions; heat cycles; chemical equilibrium; prediction of physical properties; theory of corresponding states; fluid phase equilibria; estimation of activity coefficients; physical chemistry.
UT Courses: ChE 200, 230, 330, and 531
Suggested References: Felder and Rousseau; Smith and Van Ness; Reid, Prausnitz, and Poling; Prausnitz, Lichtenthaler, and Azevedo; Adkins.
Part II: Chemical Reactor Fundamentals
Topics: Applied homogeneous kinetics; batch and flow systems, including CFSR and tubular reactor models; multiple reactor systems; contacting patterns for suppressing side products; temperature and pressure effects on conversion; heterogeneous catalysis in fixed beds; non-ideal flow.
UT Courses: ChE 450 and 551
Suggested References: Fogler; Levenspiel; Adkins.
Part III: Transfer Processes and Separations
Topics: Elements of heat transfer (conduction, forced and natural convection, radiation); elements of diffusion including local mass balances; application of film models to interphase transfer; humidification operations; differential and stage wise separations including absorption and stripping, distillation including separation of difficult systems, liquid-liquid extraction, and adsorption.
UT Courses: ChE 340, 445, 547 and 548
Suggested References: McCabe, Smith, and Harriott; Treybal; Bird, Stewart, and Lightfoot; Hines and Maddox.